Movable wall and partition



Oct. 8, 1935. P. ANDES MOVABLE WALL AND PARTITION Filed March 19, 1954 Patented Oct. 8, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT oFFiC-E MOVABLE WALL AND PARTITION Peter Andes, Cleveland, Ohio kApplication March 19, 1934,.,Serial No. 716,407

8 Claims. (Cl. 2,2-46) My inventionrelates to movable walls and partitions for dividing and subdividing new buildings, and for meeting changes yin the use of old buildings which necessitate new floor layouts with remodeling and rearrangement of the rooms.

Heretofore proposed remodeling and rearrangement of the rooms of a building has frequently been held in abeyance or entirely dropped because of the time required and the mess, dirt and annoyance incident to the tearing out of tile, plaster or other built-up walls, which must be completely razed and the resulting dbris carried away before new walls can be erected. It has been proposed to Ibuild movable steel walls and partitions, which can readily be rearranged, taken down, added to and reerected, but the heat and sound insulating properties of such walls is unsatisfactory and their comparatively thin covering and finishing sheets are easilydamaged beyond repair.

The object of my invention is to provide a movable partition wall, which Icombines the advantages of th-e so called movable steel walls with heat and sound insulating attributes far superior to the old built up wall types or partition walls. 'Ihis object is according to my invention obtained by wall or partition units, consisting of rigid steel frames, the front open and rear walls of which are faced with heat and sound insulating plaster layers. These layers are preferably supported by and interlocked with expanded metal linings, welded to the front and rear face of the frames, thus-permitting the wall units to be readily handled and shipped without likelihood of damage.

The frame structure of these units is preferably made up from channel irons which are rigidly connected with each other and openly expose their channels on all sides of the unit to facilitate aligning and interlocking ofthe assembled units by means of suitable spreaders, all as hereinafter more concisely pointed out in the following speciiication and the drawing forming part thereof.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a side View of a partition wall Vpartly broken away to show the frame structure of the K wall units;

Figure 2 is an enlarged transversalA sectional view on lines 2 2 of Figure 1; Figure 3 is an enlarged cross sectional View on lines 3 3 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is an enlarged cross sectional view showing the joint of two units;

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the frame structure of a unit; and

Figure `6 is a perspective View partly in section of the iinished unit. n

In the drawing Vthe :partition .wall 2 embodies a plurality of Wall units 3, placed adjacent to and above each other to form a continuous wall of permanent appearance. `The wall units `or panels 3 4each embody Van internal .rectangular metal frame J4, comprising perforated U-shaped side .and top and bottom channel irons 5 yand l6 respectively, Side channel irons 4 are somewhat 10 longer than the top and bottom fchannel irons l6 and all channel irons are so arranged :that the web :portions 'l face inwardly and the flanges or legs .I2 .project outwardly. According to this arrangement -vertical passages 8 are formed be- 15 tween adjoining units or tiers of units whichextend -from the top to the vbottom of :wall L2. Housed within the passages 8 are pull-up splices or spreaders 9 vadapted to align, .and securely interlock the unitstogether and to adjacent tiers 20 of units, as will be later described.

'The front and rear faces .of 'frame4 are lined with expanded metal I0, reenforced lby pencil rods .I-I,.the'1atter being welded to the flanges I2 of channel irons 6 to hold the Vexpanded metal 25 in proper position. Each individual .frame structure just .described is faced ,on opposite sides with layers of vplaster I3 of sufficient thickness to obtain the desired insulating and/or sound absorbing properties in a unit. The plaster layers eX- '30 tend `partly into and through yopenings :I4 of the expanded .metal I0 and become securely interlocked with the expanded metal mesh yand with pencil rods II. It will therefore be seen that each unit possesses sufficient rigidityand strength 35 to withstand rough handling and abuse. The heat insulating and sound absorbing properties of the units depend upon the type of plaster used for facing the sides of the frame structure. Perforations 22,'preferably arranged within :the web 40 portions of the channels 5 and 6 provide for a free circulation of air in wall 2 and also accelerate drying of the plaster layers I3. Nail or screw openings II' in the webs 1 of channels E permit of the bottom units being securely fastened to 45 the door if so desired. Y n

The pull-up splices or spreaders 9 previously referred to comprise two parallel substantially T shaped irons or channel members I'I and I8, which are inserted within and at opposite sides of the 50 vertical passages 8 after two or more tiers of units have been erected. By moving one of the members I'I-I8 longitudinally relatively to the other of said members, the wall sections can be spread apart and maintained in accurately 55 aligned and interlocked relationship. By a. reverse relative movement of the members II-l, these members can be unlocked and conveniently removed, thus permitting the wall sections to be taken down or moved. The spreading, interlocking and reinforcing action of the spreaders 9, impart suiicient rigidity to the wall to enable the latter to support doors, wicket structures and the like. y

It will be understood that each unit 3 will be completely finished at the factory ready for shipment and use, including the plaster facings I3. However, after the wall 2 comprising two or more tiers of units 3 has been erected, it will be necessary for the user to ll in the Vertical spaces 2| existing between adjacent ends of adjoining tiers of units 3, with plaster 23, similar in kind to that employed in forming facing layers I3. Likewise in the event there is any noticeable longitudinal break or space between individual units, the same will preferably be obliterated by also touching these points up with plaster, so that the wall will present a perfectly smooth, and unbroken exterior.

While walls constructed and assembled in the manner described herein are re resisting and give the appearance of permanent wall structures, they can be easily and quickly removed and reerected. As previously stated the narrow vertical spaces appearing between adjoining units after spreading operations are preferably filled with the type of plaster used for facing the sides of the units although these spaces may be covered with moldings of the desired shape or form.

My invention is of course susceptible of wide variations in the details of construction to meet the requirements of installation and of architects and builders.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

What I claim is:

1. In a movable wall or partition made of tiers` of superposed and aligned rigidly interlocked building units, building units comprising a metal frame embodying U-shaped channel irons arranged to form open, unobstructed vertical channels in the sides of said frame, plaster supporting means secured to the flanges of said frame for covering the front and rear faces thereof, and layers of plaster secured to and interlocked with said plaster supporting means; and spreaders arranged within the vertical passages, formed by the open vertical channels of adjoining aligned units, said passages and spreaders extending from the top to the bottom of said walls for aligning and interlocking adjacent units and superposed tiers of said units.

2. A movable wall or partition as described in claim l, wherein the spreaders consist of a pair of T-shaped irons having their opposed webs linked together for parallel movement with Yrespect to each other.

3. As an article-of manufacture a building unit for movable walls and partitions comprising an open frame embodying metal members, flanges on said members extending laterally and outwardly in substantially the planes of the front and rear faces of said frame, plaster supporting means for covering the faces of said frame secured to the flanges of said metal members, and layers of plaster coextensive with said frame and its flanges for each of said plaster supporting means interlocked therewith, said layers of plaster being distinct and spaced from each other to form an insulating air space between the layers.

4. As an article of manufacture a building unit Vfor movable Walls and partitions comprising a substantial rectangular open frame embodying horizontal and vertical members, flanges at opposite sides of said vertical members extending laterally and outwardly with their faces arranged substantially in the planes of the front and rear faces of said frame, plaster supporting means, covering the faces of said frame secured thereto, and a layer of plaster coextensive with said frame and said flanges for each of said plaster supporting means interlocked therewith to provide distinct and spaced facings for said frame, said facings being parallel spaced from each other and enclose an insulating airspace between them.

5. As an article of manufacture a building unit for movable Walls and partitions as described in claim 4, wherein the flanges of said vertical members extend laterally and outwardly from a common base and form open unobstructed vertical channels in the vertical edges of said unit.

6. As an article of manufacture a building unit for movable walls and partitions as described in claim 4, wherein the vertical members consist of channeled members having their channels openly exposed at the vertical edges of said unit.

7. As an article of manufacture a building unit for movable walls and partitions as described in claim 4, wherein the vertical members consist of channeled members with perforated web portions having their channels openly exposed at the vertical edges of said unit to permit free air circulation between the air insulating spaces of a plurality of building units assembled to a wall.

8. As an article of manufacture a building unit for movable walls and partitions comprising a substantially rectangular frame embodying horizontal and vertical members, flanges laterally and outwardly extended from the opposite sides of each of said vertical members and arranged substantially in the planes of the front'and rear faces of said frame, plaster supporting means coextensive with said frame and its flanges secured thereto for covering the faces of said frame and the flanges, and a layer of plaster for each of said plaster supporting means coextensive and interlocked therewith to provide distinct, rigid facings covering the front and rear faces of said frame, said facings being arranged in parallel planes spaced from each other by an insulating air space therebetween. Y

PETER ANDES. 

